32 drown in Caspian Sea

At least 32 people have drowned while swimming in the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, state-run television reported today.

Emergency workers recovered the bodies of the victims from seven different spots in the Caspian Sea area on Friday, the report said.

Most of the drownings happened in popular summer holiday spots. More than two million Iranians travel to the Caspian Sea each weekend, the closest body of water to the capital at a distance of 68 miles.

Hundreds of holidaymakers drown each year in the Caspian Sea from poor swimming skills, swimming in unsafe waters, and inadequate emergency assistance.